Summer may be here on the calendar, but the Scottish Highlands are telling a different story.
Just days after the official start of meteorological summer on June 1, snow has returned to the country’s highest peaks, with mountaintops in Lochaber and the Cairngorms waking up to a rare June dusting. The unexpected wintry scenes—captured in striking images from Roybridge, Torlundy, and Aviemore—have been driven by a mass of cold Arctic air sweeping down from Iceland.
‘Not Unusual’—But Still a Surprise
“Snow on the hills of Scotland is not unusual in early June,” said BBC Scotland weather presenter Judith Ralston. “But what’s making this spell stand out is the strength of the northerly wind that brought the cold air so far south before it had a chance to warm up.”
Images shared by BBC Weather Watchers show powdery white clinging to coires and corries—the bowl-like hollows that dot the Highlands—while low cloud and shadowed valleys add to the wintery feel. From the Cairngorm plateau to Ben Nevis’s surrounding ridges, the scenery momentarily rewound to winter.
High Winds, Low Temps
The cooler-than-average conditions have lingered for several days and are expected to continue until the weekend. Winds are forecast to ease slightly by Thursday, bringing a break in showers, though daytime temperatures will remain on the cool side for early June.
This week’s weather pattern echoes a similar event in June 2023, when snow briefly returned to some Highland peaks. However, it was the remarkable summer snowfall of 2010 that remains most memorable—when more than 100 skiers took to the slopes at Cairngorm Mountain after two temporary rope tows were installed.
Flashback: Summer Skiing in 2010
In mid-June 2010, following a particularly frigid winter, the Cairngorms retained enough snow for skiing well into summer. For two days, skiers and snowboarders hiked to find snow patches, with the resort responding by setting up temporary infrastructure to meet demand.
The phenomenon was fueled by long-lasting freeze-thaw cycles during the winter of 2009–2010, one of the coldest on record in the UK. Though this week’s snowfall isn’t likely to last, the visual impact has been no less striking.
Climate Context: Natural Variability or Deeper Trend?
While June snow may seem at odds with growing concerns about global warming, experts caution that localised cold snaps are entirely consistent with a changing climate system.
“We’re likely to continue seeing strange swings—more intense heat waves, but also moments like this where Arctic air dives south,” said one climate scientist. “It’s the variability within the extremes that’s becoming more pronounced.”
Highland Weather Watch
Snow was observed at:
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Cairngorms National Park — with visible snow fields and corries near Aviemore
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Lochaber region — snow-tipped ridges photographed from Roybridge
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Torlundy and Fort William — snow on nearby peaks, dark clouds overhead
Though no ski lifts were activated this time, hikers and outdoor enthusiasts were treated to unexpectedly Alpine views under early summer skies.
